A Shenkuu Christmas
by MyUnspokenMe
Summary: A Christmas story involving me and my pets, at the Shenkuu Christmas Festival


Seaminty squealed and ran up to another one of the brightly decorated Shenkuu shops that lined the streets. We were in the streets of Shenkuu for the Christmas Festival. For many days the residents of Shenkuu had worked hard at decorating, and it was beautiful. The streets and shops were lined with dark green garlands and garlands of ice that reflected the firelight of the streetlamps and the other holiday lights that decorated the shops. Light shone from the storefront windows, adding to the golden glow of the village. Even the flying ships that sailed over our heads were decorated for the festival. Trails of ice lights and tinsel garlands trailed off the ships, while holly, snowflake and candy cane shaped lights blinked from every inch. Dressed-up pets on the ships tossed candy to the children in the streets below. Christmas painted pets and their owners danced through the wooden streets, carolers strolled singing from shop to shop. The excitement was contagious.

"Mom! Mom, look!" my OgrinTenkua tugged on my sleeve, looking at one of the magicked waterfalls that changed colours, splashing down and adding another beautiful sound to the chorus of music that filled the village. A river rush surfer flew down the mountainside on one of the new ice boards, Tenkua watched, captivated.

"Mom, I want one!" Tenkua looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"Maybe for you'll get one for Christmas! You have been very good this year, right?" My Orgin nodded, still watching the surfers. Seaminty, my green Kacheek, ran out of the shop proudly carrying a new snow globe.

"Alright, Seaminty is back! Everyone finished their Christmas shopping, right?" I got a round of nods as my four pets remained awestruck by the beauty of the decorated village.

We strolled into a café and I ordered five cups of candy cane hot chocolate. Sipping our hot chocolate we watched the festival out in the streets, watched he dancers and the bands that came by.

As I finished my Christmas shopping, my pets joined the dancers. Brooke, my Ixi, and Tenkua pranced around with garlands hanging from their necks, their petpets running around their feet. The other two youngest waited for the candy to fall from the ships, singing with the other children.

Thought the festivities would last for several more hours, soon It was time to head home.

"Mom, can't we stay longer, the festival is only once a year!" Brooke looked at me with the same pleading eyes her brother had earlier. I could tell Seaminty and Tenkua were already beginning to fall asleep.

"No, Brooke, these two are falling asleep, but when we get home I promise to read you the Night Before Christmas." Tenkua and Brooke looked at each other with excitement. Once a year on Christmas eve I would read A Night Before Christmas, and we would eat the cookies we baked all day.

We soon arrived at our Shenkuu home, were we could still see the bright lights and hear the music coming from the village. I gathered five plates of cookies and five mugs of hot chocolate, and took them to the living room. Brooke, Tenkua, Seaminty and Firebales all waited patiently on the floor with their petpets with blankets and pillows as I started a crackling fire, and sat down in my favourite wingback chair.

"Alright, everybody comfortable? Good!" I took a sip of hot chocolate and began to read, as by pets listened and munched on cookies.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the neohome  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a miamouse;  
The stockings were hung by the fire with care,  
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  
The pets were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of sugar-chokatos danced in their heads;  
And /mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  
Had just settled down for a long Month of Celebrating nap,  
When out in the neogarden there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.  
Away to the snow covered window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,  
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny raindorfs,  
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.  
More rapid than Beekadoodles his coursers they came,  
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;  
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!  
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!  
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"  
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,  
So up to the neohome-top the coursers they flew,  
With the sleigh full of plushies, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.  
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,  
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.  
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;  
A bundle of plushies he had flung on his back,  
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.  
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!  
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;  
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;  
He had a broad face and a little round belly,  
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.  
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old Felf,  
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;  
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,  
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,  
And laying his finger aside of his nose,  
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;  
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  
But I heard him exclaim, ere he flew out of sight,"

I paused and looked at my four pets who had fallen asleep by the fire, cookies finished and petpets all snuggled up and smiled to myself  
**_"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."_**


End file.
